Gannon: 49ers coaches must be “concerned” about Kaepernick

Rich Gannon, at his peak, was a picture of efficiency. He completed 67.6 percent of his passes in 2002, when he threw for nearly 4,700 yards in leading the Raiders to the Super Bowl.

Not surprisingly, then, Gannon looks at this year’s 49ers and wonders why Colin Kaepernick and Co. are sputtering. That colors the way Gannon, now an NFL analyst for CBS, views Sunday’s game against the Raiders.

“If the 49ers weren’t struggling so much on offense, you wouldn’t think the game would be competitive at all,” Gannon said in a phone interview. “It would probably be over at halftime. I’ll say this: the 49ers have really had their issues offensively. Take that into consideration and the game could be close.

“I think they’re playing well enough defensively, but the offense has sort of been a thorn in their side the last month or so. The quarterback has been really inconsistent. He’s missing too many throws – the accuracy is not there. I don’t know if he’s pressing, but I’m sure it has the coaching staff concerned.”

Asked if Kaepernick can still become a great quarterback, Gannon scrambled away from the question with familiar agility.

“We throw out those terms so loosely – great, elite and franchise,” he said. “Part of it is just let the kid grow and develop. I think he’s a talented quarterback and athlete, and he’s played at high level before. You certainly think he’s capable.

“Part of it is he has to continue to get better at his craft. He just has to be better in the pocket, better at decision making, all those things.”